Siman - Shabbos Daf 147

• Shaking dust off a garment

Rav Huna said המנער טליתו בשבת חייב חטאת – One who shakes his cloak on Shabbos [to clean it] is liable a chatas. Rashi explains that he is shaking dust off of it, which is a toldah of the melacha of melabein (laundering).

The Gemara qualifies this ruling that it only applies to garments that the owner is particular about wearing without shaking off the dust, such as new garments and black garments. If the owner is not particular about shaking the dust off these garments as well, he would not be liable a chatas if he did shake them.

• Carrying towels

The next Mishnah states that if one bathed in cave water or in the chamei Tiveria, and dried himself with even ten towels לא יביאם בידו – he may not carry them [the towels] home in his hand. Whereas ten people may dry themselves with one towel, drying their faces, hands, and feet, ומביאין אותן בידן – and they may carry the towel home in their hands.

The Gemara explains that the first part of the Mishnah is teaching the novelty that even though one person dried himself with ten towels, and it is presumed that the towels have very little water in them, he is not allowed to bring them home כיון דחד הוא אתי לידי סחיטה – since he is one person, he may forget and come to squeeze water out of the towels.

The second part of the Mishnah is coming to teach the novelty that even though one towel can be presumed to be saturated with water from ten people using it, they can still bring it homeכיון דרבים נינהו מדכרי הדדי – since they are many they will come to remind each other not to squeeze it.

Rav Yosef stated that the halacha is not like our Mishnah, but rather one person is allowed to bring a towel home with him, and he mentioned four Rabbanon that support this view.

• Forgetting one's learning

Rebbe Elazar ben Arach once came to the region of Prugisa and Diomses and became attracted to the worldly pleasures there and forgot his Torah learning. The Midrash in Koheles Rabbah relates that he went to this area after the death of Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai when the other talmidim went and re-established the academy in Yavneh. When Rebbe Elazar ben Arach returned and read from the Torah, instead of reading החדש זה לכם - This month shall be for you, he read החרש היה לבם – Was their heart silent[O1] ? The Rabbanon davened for him and his Torah knowledge returned.

This incident illustrates what was learned in the Mishnah, רבי נהוראי אומר הוי גולה למקום תורה ואל תאמר שהיא תבא אחריך – Exile yourself to a place of Torah and do not presume the Torah will follow after you, שחבריך יקיימוה בידך – for it is your colleagues who will cause it to remain with you. Rashi explains that while he is learning one masechta, his chaveirim will be learning a masechta that he had already learned, and through discussion he will refresh his memory. The Mishna concludes, ואל בינתך אל תשען - and do not rely on your own understanding. Rashi explains that one should not say that he will not forget his learning.